BPO Summer Concerts

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s summer season will take the musicians to several of Western New York’s best public spaces and performing venues.

The BPO will perform 12 times, including several free outdoor concerts and the return of Summer [email protected]

• The summer season kicks off with the BPO’s return to Bidwell Park in the Elmwood Village on June 25 and Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora on June 27, each beginning at 7 p.m. These free, outdoor concerts will be conducted by Matthew Kraemer, and will feature a mix of Americana.

• At 7 p.m. June 29, the BPO will perform a concert at Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown. Matthew Kraemer conducts this concert of classical favorites, including works by Rossini, Copland, Dvorak and Beethoven, concluding with the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. The concert is free for children younger than 6; $10 for students and $20 general admission. A family four-pack is available for $49. All tickets will be available through the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra box office at 885-5000 or www.bpo.org. Tickets include admission to the park.

• The BPO’s second season of Summer [email protected] will kick off at 7 p.m. July 6 with Tchaikovsky Spectacular, conducted by Matthew Kraemer. Audiences are invited to pack a picnic supper or sample the wares of the Buffalo food trucks and enjoy the grounds of the concert hall and its historic neighborhood setting.

Summer [email protected] will continue at 7 p.m. July 19 with A Tribute to Dave Brubeck. The jazz composer and pianist, credited with introducing jazz to the Baby Boom generation, was 91 when he died last year. The BPO will pay tribute to his legacy with a performance featuring the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, formed by his sons.

• The BPO and the Bisons continue their Independence Eve tradition on July 3, when the Bisons play the Rochester Red Wings at Coca-Cola Field starting at 6:05. After the game, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will take the field, joined by the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and led by Paul Ferington, for a program of patriotic favorites followed by a fireworks display. Tickets are available at www.bisons.com.

• Over a two-day period, the BPO will share its best with Western New York through a series of free performances at Canalside.

The afternoon of July 13 offers audiences a chance to see what orchestra members do when they’re not rehearsing for a concert. Chamber groups, jazz quartets, and percussion ensembles featuring BPO members are all on the schedule.

At 7 p.m. that day, the orchestra will perform a Broadway-themed concert with soloists Gary Mauer and Elizabeth Southard. The Broadway veterans are also husband and wife, and have played opposite one another in major touring productions of Showboat and Phantom of the Opera, as well as many symphonic engagements. On July 14, the BPO will hold an afternoon of instrument demonstrations, workshops and a superhero-themed concert, with music from X-Men, The Incredibles, Spiderman, Batman and more.

• The M&T Bank Plaza summer noontime concert series is celebrating its 44th year, and the Buffalo Philharmonic will once again perform. Paul Ferington will lead the orchestra on July 16 in this free outdoor concert.

• Artpark is celebrating a milestone year, and for its 40th anniversary, the BPO will perform with a host of special guests at 8 p.m. July 25, recreating the park’s 1973 opening concert. Buffalo native turned Broadway star Michele Ragusa will sing selections from Phantom of the Opera, Music Man and My Fair Lady. Eminent pianist Norman Krieger, once the winner of the BPO’s Young Artists Competition Prize, will perform Chopin’s Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brilliante. Dancers from the Festival Ballet of Providence and Neglia Ballet Artists will join the BPO onstage, dancing to selections from ballets by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Elderlife Real Estate is a real estate service specializing in the needs and requirements of older adults and those who care about them. We have specialized in this since 1999. Michael Olear’s initial career included a Master's Degree in Social Work and this blend of social work technique and real estate brokerage has created a hybrid service that has been uniquely useful for hundreds of families in WNY. Several realtors on the team have the Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation.

Whether it’s downsizing from the family house to a smaller home, moving to a senior community, or acting as a POA or executor, we know that the last thing you want is to focus on the details.

We will plan out every aspect for you including household sale, repairs, inspections Allow us to handle the specialized work of selling your property so your attention is where you need it to be.

Is the property being sold located in the Erie/Niagara region of New York?

We assist every seller with creation of a written timeline, loosely scheduled at first, that includes all major tasks to be performed in the most beneficial sequence for that individual’s circumstance. Two samples are included below:

House A: Tonawanda, NY

Schedule meeting with town plumbing inspector

Schedule meeting with town electrical inspector

Meet town plumbing inspector for evaluation

Meet town electrical inspector for evaluation

Schedule at least 2 estate liquidators

Meet liquidators and obtain their quotes, contracts and plans of action

Schedule engineer for home inspection to evaluate basement cracks and provide complete written, home inspection report

Obtain estimate for installation of drywall, finishing and painting.

Report back to owner regarding progress of estate liquidator by phone, email and photo

Report back to owner regarding cleanout of house by liquidator by phone, email and photo

Arrange for installation of drywall, finishing and painting if required by contract of sale.

Arrange for electrician and plumber if required by town

Schedule any other contractors that may be requested by owner including lawn, snow plowing, property management, etc.

House B: Amherst, NY

Obtain engineer report with respect to basement

After obtaining engineer’s recommendation, obtain two estimates for foundation repair, flushing drain tile and basement seepage that also includes transferable warranty

Arrange for basement repair and document completion for owner with photos

Obtain two estimates for plastering/painting kitchen, back hall way, living room and upstairs bedroom (lower part of wall and one side wall – match color of remainder of room)

Ask painter if they will clean brick at the top of hearth in family room. Obtain estimate for upstairs painting just to see how much it would be.

Arrange for painting as per approved estimate and document completion for owner with photos

Obtain two estimates for replacement of hot water tank

Arrange for installation of new hot water tank and document completion for owner with photos

Arrange for removal of any junk in basement and arrange for cleaning of same and this includes shop vac for all spider webs as well as power washing walls and floor after sweeping – document for owner with photos

Approach neighbor if necessary regarding establishing written maintenance agreement or common driveway

Arrange for carpet cleaning in the 1stfloor

Put caution tape across access door to attic

The Olear Team/MJ Peterson had a 100.02% list price to sale price ratio in 2019. The marketplace average in Western New York for the same time period was 98.1%. The list price to sale price ratio is how much you sell for compared to your asking price. In 2018, the Olear Team averaged 98.9% and the market average for all other realtors was 96.7%.

The Olear Team/MJ Peterson averaged 11 days on the market in 2019. Days on market is the time interval from when a house is listed to when it is actually under contract. The broader market average for all other real estate agents combined was 35 days. In 2018, The Olear Team averaged 19 days and the market average then was 42 days.

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